Some 50 people, including staff, clients and volunteers, were present to help Sources Community Resources Society celebrate last week’s grand opening of the White Rock Employment Centre at the centre’s new uptown offices in the Bosa Development .

Among those on hand to mark the occasion Thursday were Minister of Social Development Stephanie Cadieux (MLA for Surrey-Panorama), White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin, and Sources executive director David Young.

Cadieux paid tribute to the Sources, which operates the centre, as “knowing how to bring together partnerships in the community” and said the centre represents a step away from compartmentalization that has not proven beneficial in the past.

“I’m a huge fan of Sources,” she said. “It takes a community to help somebody who needs a hand.”

Centre manager Dan Scott and program manager Madeline Cutting said it is the first time an employment centre has been part of the city scene since the last one was closed in the early 1990s. They noted that, with ministry help, Sources is now able to provide “community-based holistic support for job seekers.”

More general support is also available for career planning, accessing work experience and wage-subsidy resources, exploring careers in trades or self-employment options.

The White Rock Employment Centre is located at unit 208, 1461 Johnston Rd. (entrance from the parking lot off Russell Avenue). For information and referrals, call 604-542-4357.

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